9 Goth-Themed Palettes for Eye Makeup as Dark as Your Soul

If you were to ask me for the best makeup for goths, the beauty product encyclopedia I have for a brain would easily be able to name off the sootiest black eye liners and lipsticks darker than a black hole. But I rarely put any of them on my face. My aesthetic is more "human Funfetti cake" than "goddess of the night," so I prefer to go with most colorful makeup I can find.

But this isn't about me, folks — this is about Disasterdann, a Redditor who consulted the MakeupAddiction subreddit for makeup recommendations to become the "Victorian romantic goth boy of [his] dreams". Not only do the lovely people who frequent the threads over there have the best picks for drugstore mascaras and affordable high-shine gloss, but also makeup that fits the goth fantasy.

Disasterdann specifically requested recommendations for eye shadows in matte black and rich, dark jewel tones, and Redditors delivered with a gorgeous mix of palettes from mainstream and indie beauty brands — some of the latter being ones I'd never heard of and now want to try for those days when I want to feel like goth icon Michele Lamy.

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The sleekly cased Zodiac 25 Color Eyeshadow & Highlighter Palette from BH Cosmetics fulfills the matte black shadow and metallic requirements. Featuring a dozen shimmery shadows and 12 matte ones to complement them, this pick is inspired by astrological signs (a favorite topic of ours), with two colors per sign. Scorpio, for example, is represented by a foiled copper and matte rust hue, while Aries is a twinkling teal and matte black. And in the middle is a pearly highlighter in the middle to give your skin a vampire-like shine.

A couple Redditors suggested the affordable palettes from Sleek Makeup because the shadows inside have amazing pigmentation and cost about a dollar each, with the whole thing ringing out at just $13. The Vintage Romance Eyeshadow Palette, in particular, is filled with lush amethysts, golds, and sapphires that are perfect for low-risk experimentation.

For those who want to incorporate pastel in their makeup, the Strobe Cosmetics Creepy Cute Eyeshadow Palette is a fun fit. The octet pays homage to Ouija boards with a lilac named Planchette. The rest of the shades stay on the eerily adorable theme with Tombstone (a slate gray) and Take a Hint (a citron).

Many Redditors agree that the black shadow featured in the Melt Cosmetics Dark Matter Stack is the best one they've ever used, saying, "TKTKTKTK." Plus, the palettes are quite sizable, so they're well worth your money considering won't hit the bottom of the pan for a while. Plus, they fold up easily into a neat stack to travel with.

Complete with a coffin-shaped compact and Vampira printed on the cover and inside, the Lunatick Cosmetic Labs Vampira Palette is almost too on the nose. The pan that looks as though it's filled with matte black pigment (named Nefarious) is actually flecked with duochrome turquoise shimmer. The same prismatic effect runs through the rest of the palette's shade selection, too.

While the Redditor who goes by 80sdarkwave suggested the Pat McGrath Labs Mothership I Subliminal Palette without an explanation, let's be real: it doesn't need one. If I had to guess, however, I would be willing to bet its appeal lies somewhere between the black-and-gold lucite case and its stunning charcoal black and luxurious cobalt shades.

In the words of Redditor Gracedisgrace, "Sugarpill has some amazing shadows, especially when it comes to the 'spice up an all-black look' ones." I couldn't agree more, Gradedisgrace.

Another who goes by GlamourGoth added that the only black shadow she uses is none other than Bulletproof, which you can pop into the Sugarpill Build Your Pro Palette Mini, which retails on its own for $12. GlamourGoth recommends adding Poison Plum (a violet) and Love Plus (a candy apple red) to the custom kit, too.

Redditor Symphony64 called out the Smashbox Full Exposure Palette for its warm-toned essentials and the most "matte, darkest black" they've ever used. They even added a tip: Layer the black eye shadow over a black gel eye pencil to make the hue "extra black" and last even longer.